The NBA postseason is the biggest stage of the year. For the sixteen teams that get the chance to participate in the race for the Larry O’Brien trophy, there are no moral victories. Each loss seems like the back-breaker while each win looks like the one that might break the series open. This has been especially true for the 2017 NBA Playoffs.
The magnifying glass that is the playoffs puts the biggest stars on the biggest stage to do what they do best – compete at a high level and entertain the masses while doing so. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and the litany of other NBA stars make magnificent plays every game, leaving fans consistently stunned and amazed.
However, the postseason doesn’t belong exclusively to the big ticket names. The playoffs are rife with eye-popping highlights that don’t derive from the star players. Role players making plays that impact a seven-game series is what gives this time of year its mark. Every little bit helps when the competition level is raised to the heights that it is.
The Def Pen team has spent hours watching and keeping an eye out for these kinds of plays all throughout the 2017 NBA Playoffs. Let’s take a look at five of the most captivating highlights that didn’t come from the household names.
Myles Turner’s Poster
In a series that didn’t offer much in length, it was filled with highlights and memorable quotes. In game 3 of the series, the Indiana pacers built a 25-point halftime lead only to see it decimated by LeBron and his Cavaliers’ second unit. Aside from the awful collapse, the second year big man Myles Turner decided that he would put a mark on the series, and on Tristan Thompson. Turner went for the full poster when he dropped this thunderous hammer.
Eric Gordon from…the paint?
Eric Gordon is playing significant basketball for the Houston Rockets. Gordon logged 13 points and 33 minutes per game for his Rockets in their first round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. While his assignment was to hit outside shots for his team – something he did at 35% in the series – Gordon went off script a bit. With young, athletic Jeremi Grant patrolling the paint, Gordon went in undaunted and unloaded quite the dunk on Grant. Safe to say there were little problems in Houston that night.
Andrew Harrison’s Grit and Grind
The Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs gave NBA fans a series that no one expected. San Antonio was the heavy favorite coming into the series as the number 2-seed in the Western Conference. Seventh seeded Memphis felt otherwise and gave the Spurs a good scare. After receiving a lift from head coach Dave Fizdale and from the fans in the “GrindHouse” FedEx Forum, Memphis made a lot of noise. In a game that went to overtime, Mike Conley had a career playoff night and Marc Gasol hit a buzzer beater to win the game. In the midst of all of the greatness, Andrew Harrison’s chase down block made an impression and impact that was just as great.
Iso Joe, Game Winner
Seven time All-Star. Joe Cool. ISO Joe. Overpaid? Whatever you want to call him these days, it’s important to follow it up with impact player. While not the scorer and presence that he once was, Johnson has been pivotal for his Utah Jazz squad. They need him to navigate through the postseason versus the Los Angeles Clippers. In Game 1, the Jazz lost Rudy Gobert to a knee injury seven seconds into the game. It looked as if things might be done rather quickly for the upstart Jazz. Yet, cooler heads prevailed and when it mattered most, the coolest of them all delivered.
After a CP3 bucket to tie it, Joe Johnson comes down and hits the buzzer-beating game-winner!
Jazz win game 1!#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/2uskNCB0xt
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) April 16, 2017
Flying Raptor
Norman Powell is played incredibly well for the Toronto Raptors. When he was inserted into the starting lineup, he produced at levels that elevated the play of the team. He has definitely made shots at an efficient level and defended well enough to make a significant impact. The culmination of those contributions came with this emphatic garbage time rim rattler in the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs.
The postseason isn’t done and there are many, many more highlights to come. Sometimes these aren’t from the usual suspects. This is what is making the 2017 NBA Playoffs great.
